Transcript Business Stakeholder Update Consultation Slides

FTA Business Consultation Event
1 Victoria Street
14th July 2015
Trade in Services Agreement (TiSA)
Context
Progress
Next steps
•TiSA is now in its 2nd year of negotiations. The 13th round of
negotiations took place in Geneva on 6 July. Included in the
round was a ‘stock-take’ aimed at assessing current progress
and agreeing / locking down the parameters of the negotiation.
Going forward, no new proposals will be able to be tabled going
forward.
•Progress is smooth with many sectors now becoming stable.
The UK is especially pleased with recent developments in
financial services and delivery services.
•The agreement continues to attract new partners with
Uruguay taking country membership to 24. Mauritius is likely to
join shortly.
•Following on from the stocktake, there will be pressure for all
parties to improve their initial offers. UK will be lobbying hard –
through our posts to encourage improved offers from countries
we have a strategic interest in.
•Likely conclusion date for negotiations is mid 2016.
•Further input from industry, particularly on market access
obstacles being faced in TISA countries is always welcome.
TTIP: (EU-US FTA)
Context
• Round 10 this week. G7 agreed to
accelerate.
• Could increase EU GDP by over £100bn
Progress
• Good technical progress, with UK
strongly engaged on priorities
• EU published concept paper on ISDS
• US agreed Trade Promotion Authority
• EU Parliament passed TTIP resolution
Next steps
•Focus on reaching a deal in 2015
• Continue positive messaging to allay
concerns and stress the benefits
EU-Canada FTA
Context
• Negotiations concluded in September
2014. Most ambitious EU trade deal
• Expected £1.3bn to UK
Progress
• Legal and translation work is
underway, expect
implementation late 2016
Next steps
• UKTI promotional work – report on
the opportunities end of 2015
WTO Trade Facilitation Agreement and DDA round work
• Trade Facilitation Agreement agreed in Bali
December 2013.
Context
• Implementing the agreement could add £70
billion a year to global GDP.
• UK could see up to £1bn annual GDP gains.
Key Issues
• On 27 November 2014 the WTO General Council
agreed to take forward the TFA and other
outcomes agreed in Bali
Next steps
• Move quickly on ratifying the TFA
• Work on the other elements of the Bali package
paying particular attention to food security and
to LDC issues
• take forward discussion on the post-Bali work
programme for completing the DDA
WTO Green Goods
Context
• Reducing tariffs on environmental goods
• 17 WTO members
• Building on APEC agreement
Progress
• 3 new members joined
• 7th round of negotiations
• Initial list of 650+ product lines
Next steps
• Agree consensus list
• Text of agreement with review mechanism
• Agreement by COP21 and MC10
EU-Mercosur FTA
Context
• Brazil, Uruguay and Paraguay are close to
90% tariff reductions. Waiting for
Argentina to reach this level before an
exchange of offers can take place.
Progress
• Provided conditions for a successful
exchange are met, market access offers
could be exchanged in November 2015.
Next steps
• Technical meeting in September to
decide if conditions are met for an
exchange of offers to take place
EU-Andean
Context
Progress
Next steps
• Trade agreements in place with Peru and
Colombia. Negotiations concluded for Ecuador
to join the EU-Andean agreement in July 2014
• Peru and Colombia to approve Ecuador’s
accession then text is sent to European
Council for Signature and then European
Parliament for approval
• Expect trade agreement with Ecuador to be in
force by mid- 2016
• UKTI research and promotional work underway
EU-Mexico FTA
Context
• EU and Mexico committed to a
comprehensive and ambitious
modernisation of the trade agreement
Progress
• Joint Vision Report finalised in June
• Impact assessment due end of 2015
• Commission to seek a mandate early 2016
Next steps
• Businesses feed in priorities to UK Gov
• Negotiations to be launched early-mid
2016 and could be concluded 2018
EU-Vietnam FTA
Context
• Progress is good; transhipment, 90% tariff
elimination and an English web-portal for
government tenders agreed in principle
Progress
• Tariff staging and market access barriers
(pharma & spirits) remain key asks in particular
• EU & MSs share priorities and remain positive
Next steps
• 14th round scheduled for w/c 21st July 2015
•Political agreement hoped for by end of July
•Funding in place for UKTI promotion work
EU-Singapore FTA
Context
• Negotiations concluded in October 2014
Progress
•FTA referred to ECJ on 10th July 2015
•UKTI due to identify, publish and
promote UK FTA opportunities
Next steps
• ECJ process due to take 18 months; FTA
therefore delayed to late 2016/early 2017
EU-Thailand FTA
Context
• Military coup in May 2014
Progress
• In the absence of a democratically
elected government, the Commission has
pulled away from FTA engagement
Next steps
• Thai elections in 2016 may therefore
be next opportunity for the EU to engage
EU-Indonesia CEPA
Context
• CEPA scoping started in 2012, but Indonesia
ultimately did not respond and instead
pursued self-sufficiency and protectionism
Progress
• At the annual EU-ASEAN dialogue in April
2015, Indonesia expressed renewed desire to
negotiate a CEPA
Next steps
• Commission has agreed to discuss the
prospect at the annual EU-Indonesia
dialogue in September 2015
EU-Malaysia FTA
Context
•Seven negotiating rounds before
suspension in 2013, for Malaysian elections
•TPP near conclusion
Progress
• EEAS suggested in June 2015 that Malaysia
is likely to reengage towards the end of the
year, as originally planned
Next steps
• Should initial scoping talks proceed in
2015, the EEAS say there is potential for
a formal round in early 2016
Other ASEAN FTAs
Context
•EU-ASEAN FTA remains long-term goal, and
it is at this point that other ASEAN nations will
most likely be brought into the picture
Progress
• Exception is the EU-Burma investment
agreement, which is a stepping stone towards
a potential FTA in the future
Next steps
• Negotiations on EU-Burma investment
agreement to continue
EU-Japan FTA
Context
Progress
Next steps
•Impact Assessment: +€42bn for EU
•Tackling NTBs key to benefits for EU
•May’s EU-Japan summit reiterated desire
to reach agreement by end 2015
•11th round took place from 6-10 July
•Steady progress by Japanese on NTBs in
key sectors
•12th Round (expected September)
•Continued progress on NTBs
•Exchanges on key sensitive tariff lines
EU-India FTA
Context
• Negotiations stalled in 2013
• Modi’s pro business sense gives
us hope for progress
Progress
• Domestic reforms and new
initiatives should help India be
more flexible in negotiations
Next steps
• Lord Maude to visit India in September
• Modi to visit UK in November
• EU-India Summit in November
EU-China Investment
Context
Progress
Next steps
•Concerns over market access, stateowned enterprises, and IP protection
• Focused UK engagement with China
•Low levels of EU investment in China
• Proposed Chinese and Commission texts
have been fully discussed and Cion/China
about to enter next phase of active
negotiation in September.
•Resolution of anti-dumping telecoms case
• Support EU in negotiations
•Explore steps towards a future EU-China
FTA
Eastern Partnership
Context
• More political / stability-related
• Small immediate economic impact for UK
Progress
• EU-Armenia Framework Agreement
negotiating directive discussions ongoing
•EU-Kazakhstan Enhanced Partnership and
Cooperation Agreement awaiting provisional
application
Next steps
•Work towards implementation of Ukraine DCFTA on course to be implemented from 1 Jan 2016
•EU-Armenia Framework Agreement negotiations
EU-ACP EPAs
Context
• Development friendly regional trade deals
• Aim to promote trade with ACP states
• Negotiations ongoing over last 10 years
Progress
• West, Southern, and East Africa concluded
• West Africa: Majority of signatures secured
• Southern, East: legal scrubbing, translation
Next steps
• Complete West African signatures
• Southern and East ready for end of year
• Implementation and negotiations elsewhere
GSP Trade Preferences
Context
• Opportunities for UK importers
• Generous tariff reductions available for
imports from developing countries to the EU
Progress
• GSP granted to 90 countries (49 LDCs)
• China, Thailand, Ecuador, Maldives removed
• GSP+ granted to 13 applicants
Next steps
• GSP+ assessment report at end of year
• More GSP countries to be removed 1 Jan 2017
• New thresholds for 2017 to be published